Grand Bend in Lambton County, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
Grand Bend
Photographed by Tim Boyd, May 12, 2025
1. Grand Bend Marker
Inscription.
Grand Bend derived its name from a hairpin turn in the Ausable (Aux Sables) River a short distance inland from Lake Huron where sand dunes blocked the river's outlet to the lake. Frequent flooding hampered farming in the region; nevertheless, a small milling community developed at the Grand Bend in the 1830s. In response to a local petition, the township cut a new riverbed directly to the lake along an old portage route in 1892. This improved drainage in surrounding farmlands and provided access to the Lake Huron fishery. In subsequent years, the sand dunes attracted summer vacationers to Grand Bend and made the village a popular summer resort.,
Grand Bend derived its name from a hairpin turn in the Ausable (Aux Sables) River a short distance inland from Lake Huron where sand dunes blocked the river's outlet to the lake. Frequent flooding hampered farming in the region; nevertheless, a small milling community developed at the Grand Bend in the 1830s. In response to a local petition, the township cut a new riverbed directly to the lake along an old portage route in 1892. This improved drainage in surrounding farmlands and provided access to the Lake Huron fishery. In subsequent years, the sand dunes attracted summer vacationers to Grand Bend and made the village a popular summer resort.
Le nom de Grand Bend provient d’une boucle quasi fermée de la rivière Aux Sables à une courte distance du lac Huron où des dunes de sable bloquent le déversement de la rivière dans le lac. Des inondations fréquentes entravent l'activité agricole dans la région, néanmoins, dans les années 1830, une petite collectivité prend forme autour dune scierie ins tallée près de la boucle de la rivière. En 1892, en réponse à une pétition, la municipalité creuse un lit de rivière menant
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directement au lac le long dun ancien sentier de portage.
Cette mesure améliore le drainage des champs et donne acces à la pêcherie du lac Huron. Plus tard, les dunes de sable attirent les visiteurs dété et Grand Bend devient un lieu de vacances populaire.
Location. 43° 18.706′ N, 81° 45.655′ W. Marker is in Grand Bend, Ontario, in Lambton County. It is at the intersection of Alberta Street and River Road, on the right when traveling west on Alberta Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 26 Alberta Street, Grand Bend ON N0M 1T0, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Southwest Ontario Area and in Southwestern Ontario. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Rupert’s Land.
map dated May 20, 1874, shows the location of the Cut in red. The Cut bisects the marshlands of lakes Burwell, George, and Smith. To the south it ends at a dam that marks where the northward flow of the Ausable was diverted. In the upper righthand corner, Lot 4 is where Brewster’s Mill and dam were built. Lot 1 is the site of the later sawmill and gristmill.
The Cut forever changed the course of the Ausable. It drained Lake Burwell and Lake George, creating the fertile area of reclaimed marshland known as the Thedford Flats. (Submitted on May 19, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario.)
Photographed by Tim Boyd, May 12, 2025
3. Grand Bend Marker
Photographed by Tim Boyd, May 12, 2025
4. Grand Bend, showing the outlet of the “Ausable Cut” to Lake Huron, 2025
Credits. This page was last revised on May 20, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 19, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 129 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 19, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
